The Key to my past
by LoreleiPalentia
Summary: She had lost something. Her memory. And while she didn't know who or what she was, her mind playing tricks and her body feeling foreign to her, the worst was that she was alone. Or so she thought. Eventual NaLu
1. Chapter 1

**_Hi, so this is my first story on , and my very first fanfiction ! More importantly, I'm french and this is the first time ever I'm writing a story in english... Wow, that is a lot of firsts ! ^^' I wanted to try for a moment now so here I am, but please be gentle with me :3 and I apologize for my language mistakes ! I hope you have a good time reading anyway ^^_**

**_Edit : Errh so I guess I threw myself into something I couldn't quite handle… It's been a long time, but I'll try to finally update this story… Thanks to demigod39cluesfan and KanaeHitomi who reviewed so long ago, I'm really grateful and I'll try to follow your advices =)_**

She was alone. She was alone and she couldn't do a thing about it. Not right now anyway, not when she was freezing outside, covered by barely anything. Curled up against a low wall, near the street, she pushed her blond hair back with a shaky hand. She kept her fingers intertwined in the cold locks for a moment, trying her best to get used to it. Her chocolate eyes shining with unshed tears, she let out a sigh as she dropped her hand back onto the stoned ground.

She knew how she looked like, she had seen her reflection on the calm water of the river crossing the Town, as she was trying to push through bunch of people going wild all over the street. Market day ? That must have been it. But she couldn't be so sure, as she did not know the place and she certainly hadn't asked anybody about it. Then she had found this little spot, on the side of the pavement, quiet hidden and shadowed, and there she was, hugging her knees tightly against her barely-covered chest, not daring to move the slightest, afraid of the absolute unknown surrounding her.

How did she end up here ? She thought about the answer to this question for what seemed like the millionth time as she glanced at the now empty ward plunged into the darkness of night. She then shut her eyes almost painfully, trying to gather everything she knew. She had opened her eyes at the feeling of a growing pain on the back of her head, and had found herself laid on the sand, alone in the middle of a desert beach, the soft lullaby played by the waves crushing lightly against the shore making her dizzy. She didn't know who she was, what she looked like, where she happened to be, so she had just pushed some questions aside, looked at the sun and decided it was the middle of the afternoon. How could she deduce that was still a wonder to her, but it didn't matter. Lost, she had stumbled toward the little village she had seen not far away, and had not been acknowledged by anybody in there. Right now, as her fingers were about to break with the cold, she wished she had. But now that she was still, and she was thinking back at her situation, as she couldn't remember any of what could have happened before that, it scared her more than any other thing she could think of.

How the f*** did she end up here ? She repeated that question to herself, as a tear slipped out and ran down her cheek at her lack of control. She let her head plop against her knees, every drop of salty water that was stocked at the edges of her eyes now rolling freely down her chin. Her heart beat too quickly for her own sake and she found herself fearing something she could not understand. She was in danger, she knew it, or rather, she felt it, but her memory just couldn't keep up with the sensations her body was giving her. So she kept up her crying, shaking wildly with her sobs and chilling for hours. And right when she was calming down, noticing the barely existent ray of morning light reaching the tip of her toes, she felt something warm clasping around her wrist.

"Are you alright ?"

A man ? No. A young man. Maybe her age ? But how old was she ? According to her image, twenty, more or less ? Lost in her thoughts, she did not realize she had lifted her head and was staring at the rising sun in the distance, until he spoke the same question again. She turned her head slowly toward him and, not replying, stared at the boy sitting on his knees in front of her, a look of pure concern on his tanned face. She kept still, taking in every detail. His sharp onyx eyes were scanning her with worry deep inside them, and some locks of light pink hair fell over his forehead. He was pouting. But as soon as she nodded her head, as a late answer to his question, a wide smile that seemed to be holding all his feelings graced his lips, and she could see two fangs appear. Brushing off the fact that her eyes had lingered more than they should have on his facial features, she continued her inspection. He was wearing an old puffed white shirt tucked in some worn out black pants, his feet bare. Now she was not an expert, but this guy was poorly dressed.

"Come on."

His low voice startled her out of her staring and she felt his rough but warm hand enveloping hers and tugging her upwards. She had a hard time balancing herself but the boy gently sneak an arm around her shoulder and steadied her body, helping her moving through the now lighten up streets, people beggining their morning routine and stores opening one by one.

"Are you lost ?" He said, glancing at her with a still worried look while he took in her awful state. Her white dress was torned apart and stained with dirt, just like her porcelain skin, her golden hair tangled and her feet bared and hurt. What could have happened to her ?

She nodded absentmindedly slowly, looking at her feet, answering another question with still no words.

"What is your name ?"

This one surprised her, or rather, made her panick. How was she named ? Her eyes began darting all around her, searching an answer. They fell on a stores's sign, and something clicked in her mind. With a shy, weird voice, she forced her words out of her dry throat :

"Lucy", she said in a robotic way, "Lucy Heartfilia".

**So this is quiet short but I wanted to know what you guys would think of it before continuing... Hope you enjoyed ^^ sorry again for any language mistakes and thanks for reading it :) also I'll be pleased to have some opinions so... Review ? :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey ! So here I go with chapter 2, one year later... I hope I can keep it up this time :x I'll try to write this story as I can... Thanks again for those who reviewed, I apologize for my... "not-at-all activity"... Errh, well, hope you'll enjoy ^^' !**

**Sorry for any language's mistake !**

**Disclaimer : I don't own Fairy Tail's Characters... duh...**

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><p>She felt warm. One of her hand was envelopped in an unbelievably hot one, and the arm supporting her made her skin tingle in a great, pleasant way. But she wasn't really aware, right now, of that fact, as her eyes found her bared feet way too interesting for her own sanity. Lucy. This was her name, right ? Yeah, she remembered it, she couldn't have get it out of nowhere. Cute enough, she thought, even if she still didn't understand how she recalled it in the first place, she wouldn't complain.<p>

Closing the subject, she decided to pay attention at the warm feeling the boy helping her was procuring her. Leaning more against him, she still didn't look up. Why ? She was scared, of course, after all she didn't know him, but the fear building up in her heart wasn't due to the spiky-haired boy. Strangely enough, it was quiet the contrary. The young man's presence was reassuring her more than she could have thought. With this in mind, mixed with him tightening his grip on her, she eventually raised her head up, only to find him staring right at her, searching her eyes the second she lifted them. Once he found the chocolate orbs with his onyx ones, he gave her a small but genuine smile.

"We're heading to my home" he said in with a deep voice, and then nodded towards her. "We should be able to get rid of these injuries of yours". His voice was filled with worry at this last sentence, and he turned his head to gaze into the distance.

Lucy's eyes widened, but her surprised look turned into a tiny smile, as she muttered a "thank you" while hanging her head down again, effectively missing the sparkle in the boy's eyes at the small sound of her voice.

Soon enough, they exited the village and were strolling down a dusty path, along the beach Lucy recognised as the one she woke up at. Neither of them dared to disrupt the calm atmosphere by speaking, one barely throwing a glance at the other from time to time. The sound of the waves crushing softly onto the shore was the only thing breaking into their confortable silence, as they kept on walking, until a small, modest house came into view.

"Here we are" the boy said, grinning. As soon as they reached the door, the pinkette released Lucy, much to her dismay, as the cold came striking her. He gripped the handle and turned it in a quick motion, the door cracking open. He then placed a hand on Lucy's back, pushing her lightly inside a small vestibule, and following her.

Then, before Lucy's eyes could catch more than a tiny coat rack in the corner, a big multicolored ball came crashing into her savior, making him stumble backwards and crush down onto the parquet floor with a loud "BAM".

"Oh, my Priiiince, you're finally there" she heard, the squiky sound coming from the coloured mess onto the ground, "I've waited for you for the longest time !"

"Oi, Sherry, get off of me" replied the poor boy, helpless underneath the supposed "Sherry". As the "Sherry" person stood up, Lucy could finally see that it was a young girl, probably her age, with long bright pink hair, and way too much make-up on her face for her own sake.

The blonde slowly took some steps backwards, not a single sound coming out of her bare feet connecting with the floor. Feeling shy, dizzy, and out of place, looking at the two people interacting before her eyes, she felt as if everything was in slow motion.

Why was she here ? Her eyes widened at the realization. She had been so taken aback by the rather gentle and good-looking young man giving her his attention that, in her lost state, she obediently followed him to this house. How foolish could she be ? She needed to get out. She didn't know him, for God's sake ! _You don't know yourself either_, a small voice nagged her into her head, _and he just wanted to help._

As her back slammed painfully against the wall near the front door, the world around her seemed to go back to his former pace, and the pink-haired stranger turned his head towards her so quickly his neck could have snapped. The girl behind him widened her pretty blue eyes as she noticed Lucy's presence for what seemed like the first time since they got in.

Lucy remained flat on the wall, and as her guide walked back to her in hurry steps, she could faintly hear Sherry's disgusted voice : « Prince Natsu, who is this… peasant ? »

Ignoring the insult she supposed this was, Lucy suddenly recoiled as though she had taken a punch in the gut right here and now, and her narrowed pupils landed quickly on the man now hovering over her, eyes once again full of worry. Suddenly, her head began throbbing and she sank to her knees, hands flying up to fist in her tangled hair. _Prince Natsu, Prince Natsu, Prince Natsu…_ The name of her savior was Natsu.

The name repeated itself in her head a billion times over, painfully familiar, and the sound just made the ache stronger. It wouldn't stop_. Prince Natsu, Prince Natsu_…

It became louder at each passing second, that felt like hours to her. _Prince Natsu_. As she shut her eyes, some flashes of white light striked into the darkness she was put in, and not being able to repress the pain, she pulled harshly on her hair with her frail hands and screamed. Her bloody shout was deafening, but didn't last long as the tight features of her face softened ans she fell into unconsciousness, her body heavily collapsing on the floor with a loud thud.

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><p>Natsu was sitting on a worn-out chair beside his couch, lifting a soaked cloth to her forehead, before sliding it gently onto her cheeks and her neck. He wringed it above of the water-filled bucket at his feet before soaking it again and repeating his ministrations.<p>

The girl lying, asleep, before him had droplets of sweat gleaming on her pale face, and her features contracted as though she was having a nightmare.

He sighs softly, falling back in his seat. He didn't mean any harm, the girl just looked so damn lost, and he couldn't think of another place to take her to than his own, so that she could clean herself up, and perhaps he would have been able to help her go back where she belonged afterwards.

Then again, he wasn't expecting Sherry to show her painted face there.

When the blonde lying on his couch had fainted, he had went through a moment of panic, unsure of what to do, before yelling at the pink-haired girl to get out of his house, which she had done immediately, not wanting to be involved in the apparent mess the situation seemed to be. Natsu had taken the uncounscious girl in his arms, ever so gently, walking across the hall as though he was standing on a frozen lake, going into the next room which was the living room, and putting her on the green, small, but soft sofa. This had been an hour ago, and here he was, the girl still having her eyes closed and him still trying to get rid of her uneasiness.

He paused, letting the cloth fall from his hands and into the bucket, trailing his eyes down her facial features. Lucy. She said it was her name. It was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember from where he knew this name. Maybe he didn't. Looking at her sleeping face, a crease beetwing her eyebrows, a soft, irregular breath coming past her slightly parted lips, he didn't know anymore.

n spite of her durt-stained skin and her messy - really messy - hair, she was beautiful. Her lips were plump and colored in a soft pink, her skin was pale with light red dusting her cheeks underneath the mug, her nose was button-like, and Natsu would be damned if he didn't get to see her big eyes in the following thirty minutes.

_Open your eyes_.

What had happened to her ? The scream that preceded her faint was heart-breaking, seeming to hold so much pain, he couldn't shake it off his mind. And why was he finding himself feeling so worried about her ? Well, anyone would be worried if they stood in front of a young and frail woman breaking in a shout so aweful before falling limp onto the floor.

But the way his heart stirred when he thought about the scene that had displayed earlier made him wonder... Just who was she...This Lucy girl...

_Open your eyes... please..._

Just as he prayed for it once again, his eyes caught sight of a movement. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed a little more before the eyelashes brushing her cheeks lifted along with her eyelids, her chesnut eyes revealing themselves ever so slowly, granting Natsu's wish.

A painful, short, turn of the head, and her orbs met his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, there ! ^^ new chapter's up ! Thanks to the people who favorited/reviewed =) Writing in english really is a challenge for me, because I dunno if the scenes giving off the feelings I want them to when writing them, so I'd be glad if you gave your opinion about it, or left some constructive criticism... So, you know, I can improve, and, well, know where I stand.. ^^'''**

**Anyway, I'm shutting my mouth ! Here you go, hope you enjoy ! =D (sorry for any language's mistake)**

**Disclaimer : Not owning FT's characters !**

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><p>She was twirling around, or so she thought, surrounded by darkness, with some flashes of light passing by her from time to time, making her eyes burn.<p>

Lucy couldn't see a thing, and the uneasiness settling in her heart was driving her crazy. She couldn't move by herself, as if she was carried away by a violent wave, her breath ragged and uneven. She felt as though she was bathing in a sea of pain, furiously shaking her more psychologically than physically.

Trapped in her own mind for what felt like hours, Lucy made an attempt at screaming, both to let her raging ache out and to try and get some help, to no avail. Suddenly, in her dark and no ending world, a faint and far away voice could be heard, breaking the heavy and scary silence she's been put in. Without understanding what was whispered to her, she found herself being soothed by the soft sound.

The obscurity surrouding her abruptly turned white, and Lucy felt herself being pulled towards the brightest spot at an impressive speed. The soft voice became clearer, turning into one of a child, a very young one. Soon, she found herself floating in the air above an area that seemed familiar, and all of her senses failed her apart from her view and her hearing.

Beneath her was a wild garden, with a wooden house settled in a corner. A soft breeze was making the tree's leaves shudder and some dandelion's seeds were flying in the air, spinning and dancing around. It was summer.

The calm and soothing atmosphere made Lucy strain herself to try and get to the ground, but nothing could do. She didn't move by an inch. Her efforts were stopped abruptly when the little voice echoed again. Moving her pupils frantically, she searched the source of the sweet sound, now coming out as a laugh, but couldn't see anyone about.

Suddenly, another voice joined the first one, higher, but warming nonetheless, and Lucy, forgetting all about her non-ability to budge, concentrated on every sound assaulting her ears. Coming louder than the weak wind, she could make out some footsteps, the clatters quick and coming closer to her.

The last thing she saw was two children figures running below, before being pulled back harshly into her dark world, flying through it and into consciousness.

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><p>Contrasting with the warm golden sky, the dark and hooded figure walked through the stone path as the sun began to set in the horizon. The last orange and rosy rays of the day didn't seem to reflect on it as it did on the far away city lying behind it. The rustle of the leaves, shaking violently as the wind was beginning to pick up, seemed to be the only sound breaking the cold silence the forest was put in. Not even the mysterious person's booted feet made a single crack when the shoe hit the ground. If you were close enough, you could feel, and faintly hear, a steady, controled breath that could give you the chills, not fitting in the heavy and grim aura surrounding the figure.<p>

Their cape slithering behind them, the stranger crossed the forest in a monotone walk, and got out of the path to flee towards the place they wanted to reach. Gliding a big, old and golden key into the lock, the door creaked open, and, letting their cape fall at their feet, they treaded into the research room, halting at the entrance.

A wood plank squeaked, some branches threw themselves hard against the firmly closed windows, and the single light in the whole place, coming from a worn out candle on a small table, was waving, threatening to die out. But the figure didn't budge.

Suddenly, all books were thrown into the air, scattered all around the room, every glass tube were crashing onto the ground, the sharp sound echoing all around the place, pencils were broken, paper flies were torn apart before lending onto the ground in smithereens. The table in the center of the room was turned over in a violent movement, hitting the ground with such a force that the all tenement quaked roughly, wooden walls screaming in protestation and window glass cracking a bit.

Everything went quiet as quickly as the shattering began, leaving the mysterious person standing in the middle of the room, all former composure lost, breathing heavely and panting, beads of sweat dripping down the temples and gleaming into the small light provided by the dying candle.

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><p>Lifting her eyelids up was the hardest thing Lucy had to do over the day. Back from her unconscious state and slightly shaken by it, her eyes remained close, the feeble light of the place she was in trying to pierce through the skin covering them. But however the hardship she had to go through, feeling the nice warmth provided by the person settled by her side and wondering who this could be, Lucy opened her eyes.<p>

Her big, chesnut orbs met with the dark ones of the pink-haired boy she met earlier. All too suddenly, she remembered everything that had occured since she first woke up, anda t the reminiscence of the boy's name, she couldn't help but wince painfully, if only for a second. _Prince Natsu._

The gesture caused Natsu's hopeful expression to turn into a worried one, and Lucy found herself being displeased by the sight, forcing her face into a neutral one once again, her stare never wavering.

Neither of them dared to say anything for a few minutes, time passing awefully slowly in their petrified states, until Lucy's small voice shook them out of it.

« How can you be a Prince ? »

Taken aback both by the question and the sound of her soft voice, Natsu stood up from his seat much faster than he should have, knocking the chair over, and turned red.

« I mean, I guess you're one, since that girl, you know… She called you… » Lucy continued in a low, tired voice, like it was about to break. « And well, you are wearing such… casual clothes, and living in this modest house… Moreover, you were in this village earlier, I… » She kept rambling, under the now-amused stare of Natsu.

This girl was kinda weird, Passing off in such a brutal way, to wake up speaking so much when she had hardly uttered a word until now.

« You're weird », Natsu plainly stated, a light but sincere smile playing on his lips. At this, Lucy stopped her nonsense abruptly, her eyes windening and her face turning the same color as Natsu's hair. His smiling face was so heart-warming…And the teasing way he said… he said…

« WHAT ?! »

Her shriek made Natsu stumble back in shock, and he put his arms up in a defense posture, looking at the reddening girl lying on his sofa. Before Lucy could react some more, he threw his head back in a roaring laugh.

Was he making fun of her ? Anger overtook her and she was about to yell again, straightening into a sitting position, when he stopped laughing. Pushing away some of the tears that had gathered into his eyes with his thumb, he walked up to her, got his chair on its feet again and sat back on it, turning his face towards Lucy's and sending her a bright grin.

« I guess we both have questions for each others, then ».

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><p><strong>Here ! Thanks for reading ! Till next time !<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi ! I'm back O.O sorry for the loooong wait, but well, life's getting in the way and my exams are one step away sooo... yeah, sorry =( But soon I'll be freed from homework and I should be able to write more =)**

**So here is chapter 4, it's still kinda calm but we're getting into action in the next chapter... and I'll try to make it longer ^^ Thanks for those who follow this =D Hope you enjoy ! (sorry for any language mistakes - yes I'll say this every single time)**

**Disclaimer : well I would like to own FT but, let's face it... I don't.**

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><p>Warm droplets of water slidded down her bear skin, and her now-cleaned hair stucked to her back, as she gently ran her fingers through it.<p>

After deciding that they had to talk to each other, Natsu had traveled his eyes up and down Lucy's worn-out figure, a frown decorating his face. That's when he had offered her to take a shower first, leading her through his middle-sized house and into the bathroom.

Lucy let her arms fall back to her sides, and slowly put her forehead on the wet wall. Closing her eyes, she let herself be soothed by the sound of the falling water washing away every small bit of soap left in her gold locks, letting her thoughts run wild. Everything hurt, from her bruised feet and arms to the further parts of her heart and mind. The fact that she remembered her name made a small flame of hope light up the darkness she was put in, her heart swelling when she thought of having the slight possibility of recalling exactly who she was. The emptiness in her head felt ironically heavy, and she felt so lost it made her feel numb.

She pressed her forehead harder against the slick tiles, her fingers trying to grasp it unsuccessfully, and curling into her palms, nails drawing blood that escaped with the water. Her features constricted as she let some tears roll with silent but shaking sobs. It hurt. Why did it hurt so much ? Was she a bad person, that just got what she deserved ? Maybe it was her own fault, perhaps she was just an asshole and should just keep on suffering the way she was now. How would she know ?

Her eyes flew open when a soft sound came from the bathroom wooden door. She heard a knock, followed by Natsu's hesitant voice.

"Lucy, are you done?"

Straightening herself and clearing her throat to bit back her sobs, Lucy tried to respond with as much control as she could muster.

"I...I'm dressing up...Be there in a minute..."

Turning the water off, she clumsily got out of the shower, drying herself quickly with a small but soft towel she picked somewhere near the bundle of clothes Natsu gave her. Woman clothes.

She put a hand to her mouth and giggled softly, the act surprising her and feeling so good at the same time. Her mind was still tormented, but the thought of her savior lifted her spirit up. He seemed to have something to do with her, he was so familiar, and she could bet she was about to remember something before her black-out. He could help her. There was hope, she thought, putting the clothes on with a small smile tugging at her lips.

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><p>"Y...that really suits you"<p>

Natsu gulped as he eyed Lucy standing shyly in front of him, hands behind her back and red coating her cheeks. He felt his getting warm as well, as she took one step closer to the couch he was sitting on, the end of her dress swaying slightly with the movement. Well, she was even more beautiful when she wasn't covered in mud and dried blood.

She looked down at herself, her long wet hair falling to hide her face.

She was dressed in a thin white collared shirt, a brown corset above it, and an off-white skirt that reached just above her scraped knees. Her feet were covered in worn-out leather boots. She felt comfortable, but a question lingered in her mind.

"Thank you, but..." She began, cut off by Natsu panicked voice.

"They were my mother's !" He said in a rush, guessing what was tormenting her. "I'm not some creep who dresses as a girl..."

Lucy couldn't help the smile that graced her lips, a smile so genuine and beautiful that it stopped Natsu from babbling, as he looked at her with wide eyes, lips slightly parted. He was so natural. She still couldn't believe this dork was some kind of prince. Remembering this fact, she hurried past him and let herself fall on the couch beside him, turning to lock gaze with him. She was about to say something, but he beat her to it.

« How are your wounds ? », he asks out of the blue.

« Fine, they… they were just scratches you know… I'm fine… thanks . » Lucy averted her gaze for a moment, before raising her head once again to find him still staring at her, seeming dead serious.

« So…who are you ? » he asked bluntly. Lucy was a bit taken aback, big eyes blinking, but she guessed it was the right question. However as she tried to find an answer to give him, her eyes lost focus and her mind went blank.

« I don't know », she finally said, matter-of-factly, her voice stronger than it had been until now. Natsu didn't react, as if he was expecting her to continue, which she did.

« I… woke up at the beach this morning… I didn't remember anything. I… I walked towards the village nearby. You found me a couple hours later. ». She kept her eyes locked with his.

Natsu opened and closed his mouth, not sure of what to say, and Lucy could catch a glint of compassion behind the shock written on his face. He couldn't seem to be able to tear his gaze away from hers, and she felt as if he was trying to read her soul. At first she thought he was searching for a proof of her sincerity, but her heart started pounding abnormally when she realized that, maybe, with his eyes glued on her face, he was attempting to… find out who she was ?

Inwardly shaking her head at this idea, certainly provided by her will to remember herself, Lucy finally broke eye-contact to look timidly around the room.

« So… what about you, _Prince _? » she said in a –surprisingly- teasing voice, daring to show a small, barely noticeable smirk. But Natsu, who didn't look away from her face for even a second, caught a glimpse of it and couldn't help but feel his heart hammered in his chest with slight delight. What she's just said, however, didn't reach his brain as fast at it should have, and getting out from his previous statue-like state, he blinked several times before deciding that he could – he wanted- to trust this strange girl with his story.

« My mother was raised here before she was married to my dad… », he began slowly, getting an interested gleam in Lucy's eyes as she turned her full attention to him. It was funny, she thought, as she was about to know more about the pink-haired boy than what she knew about her own background.

«We're in the village of Palmesia » Natsu said in a chuckle, « …if you wanted to know that, at least », he smiled at her, earning one in return.

Through clenched teeth, Lucy brought her lips up to encourage the man to go on, trying not to wince at the ache invading her head. _Palmesia… ?_

« My father, the king, met her when he passed by on a journey and, well, they fell in love, and she became his Queen. Kinda cliche », Natsu snorted. « I see… so, you're really a prince » Lucy mused, and added with a face twisted in confusion « So what are you doing _here ?_ ».

Her face resembled one of her curious child. Natsu couldn't help but snicker, but stopped as soon as he saw the slightly scolding face she was making. He cleared his voice and went back to his explanation.

« Well, you see… That's a bit complicated but to put it simply, when both of my parents died, I was too young to inherit the throne, and some upperclassed man took it until I could claim it. But I… couldn't bring myself to stay there alone, so I ran away, and came back here. I don't remember much, but my mother often took me with her when she came to visit her… friends, I think. It's kinda blurry in my mind, but I remember clearly the times she trained me in the garden to teach me fire magic… »

« What ? » Lucy screeched, and Natsu backed away slightly at it, quickly pushing a flat palm on her mouth. The look she sent him, however, made him took his hand back. He needed it after all.

« Geez, stop making such a face… everybody is aware of magic around here, even though we're not all capable of doing it », he explained, understanding that she was, maybe, a little lost on the matter.

« So there's magic in here… Like, real magic », she muttered to herself. Her eyes were suddenly gleaming, and a smile broke her face in two, excitement radiating from her. Joining her hands, she pushed her nose close to Natsu's, and he stiffened up, not moving an inch.

« Say, can you show it to me ? » she asked eagerly. His face faltered.

« I'm sorry... I haven't use it nor practiced since my mother's death. » He looked down at his feet, strands of pink hair falling down on his face. Disappointment and sudden sadness washed the light off Lucy's face.

« S…Sorry… How… did she … ? » She didn't need to finish for Natsu to understand. He turned to her, a false smile stretching onto a confused face, and opened his mouth.

And that's when the roof crumbled down just beside them, with an earthquake sound.

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><p><strong>*Hypnotizes* Reviiiiews are liiiiiife O.O<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer : don't own Fairy Tail, duh. **

**Sorry for any language mistake !**

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><p>The first thing Natsu did as his house's roof fell onto him was to grab Lucy by the waist and shove the both of them behind the couch, taking cover. When dust started invading their lungs, causing them to cough uncontrollably, he pushed himself over her, sheltering her weakened body as best as he could. Lucy hid her face in his shirt, shaken up and not understanding what was happening more than he did.<p>

Putting his arms firmly around her waist, Natsu put them into a sitting position, still coughing but allowing her to keep her face burried in his clothes to block out the dusty air. He couldn't see much, but peeked over the couch nonetheless, and froze.

There, in the middle of his living-room, stood a tall and imposant person, judging from the figure he could catch sight of behind the falling wreckage of his roof. And if he were to guess from their way to enter someone's house, this was not a friendly visitor.

Getting up quickly, he pushed Lucy behind him with an outstretched arm, an attempt at protecting her.

"Who are you ?!", he all but shouted, anger boiling inside him. It would take months to build this hole up, dammit !

At this, Lucy finally realized the presence of another person in the room, as they took a step towards them, becoming clearer. When she caught a glimpse of their face, Lucy reeled back in panick, eyes widening to the side of plates, and her body shivering from fear. Her head-ache came back full force, though she tried to calm herself down.

There stood a tall man, dark hair slicked back and sharp blue eyes cold as he stared at the two. His face seemed rather young, a large scar stretching out from his left eyes to the right side of his chin. But what mostly got her was the right arm he was pointing towards them, a red arm covered in scales. Long and sharp claws decorated his fingers, threatening to tear her skin open in one swing. A large tail, covered in the same frightening scales, came out of his behind, shifting from right to left with every slow step he took.

Finally the man, or rather _creature_, came to a stop, glaring at Natsu, who glared back with equal force.

"Hand the girl over and I shall go", the man stated in a deep voice, opening his clawed hand.

"Who are you ?!" , repeated Natsu in a roar.

"That's none of your concern. Now if you won't hand her over, I will snatch her from you by myself, but you may not come out of this unharmed, boy."

The sound of Lucy falling to her knees caught Natsu's attention, and his eyes went wide as he saw her on the verge of losing consciousness once again. He got on the floor next to her in the speed of light, snaking an arm behind her to keep her up.

"Lucy, please not now ! I don't know what's happening, either to you or with this roof-breaker over there but I beg you, you have to hold on right now !" He said frantically, slightly shaking her.

To his horror, their new-found enemy launched himself towards them, extending his right arm so as to get Natsu's head off from his neck. Said boy reacted in a heartbeat, laying flat on the floor and putting Lucy down with him, effectively dodging the attack. The mysterious man flew past them, twirling around swiftly, and rushing immediately forward once again.

The adrenaline stopped Natsu from shaking as he rolled to the side with Lucy encased in his arms. As his attacker nearly crashed into the door standing behind them, slightly losing his balance, Natsu fumbled to his feet as quickly as possible, offering a hand to Lucy, who thankfully regained her senses, though she didn't seem to quite grasp the full meaning of their situation yet.

"Lucy, go away !", Natsu all but roared, stretching his arms out in front of her while facing the enemy, "I'll keep him busy, you just run !"

Lucy shivered.

"What ?" she shrieked, "How can you possibly do that, do you even know how to-"

Her complain was cut off by Natsu leaping through the air, so fast that all she could only pinpoint a pink ball crashing into the reptile monster, knocking it over.

"-fight", Lucy finished in a whisper, mouth agape in a awe as Natsu squatted down to avoid a balled fist going for his jaw.

For what seemed like long, very long minutes, she stood there, a few feet away from the brawl, staring at the prince who oh-so-gently came to her rescue, as he tried to beat the hell out of the thing attacking them. And as much as she could say that it was quite impressive, she couldn't help but notice the struggle Natsu was going through, not being able to dodge every fist his opponent threw his way –though he made sure to concentrate on that clawed hand of his so as not to get ripped apart. His nose was bleeding, a trail of blood running by his lips to his bruised chin, and Lucy didn't doubt his face wasn't the only injured area by now.

"Run !" She heard him repeat through heavy breaths, just before he took off towards the black-haired man again, elbowing him in the ribs and skipping to the side the next instant to try and go for his scarred face.

"I can't !" Lucy found herself replying, tears building up in her eyes as Natsu recieved a blow at the back of his knee that made him stumble, a light groan slipping through his lips. Lucy gasped, but regained her composure when the pink-haired boy swiftly returned the favor and pushed his enemy back long enough to look at her.

"I won't run away by myself, I won't leave you alone !" She cried, taking an unsteady step forward in order to get into the battle, body shuddering but eyes fierce and determined – and help the dork ruining himself for her protection at the moment.

This must have alarmed Natsu, because she saw his pupils dilating, before angrily turning back towards the mysterious man, muttering a _"dammit"_. With that resolved face of her, he wouldn't be able to change her mind without getting distracted long enough for him to be knocked down.

The scar-faced man tried to assault Lucy since the beginning, but Natsu managed to keep him at bay every single time, not without getting harmed in the process. However, if the girl got into the battle, it would be much more troublesome.

"Lucy, stay away !" He shot in a desperate attempt, to no avail. The girl wouldn't back down from this, no matter how afraid she might be at the moment.

Natsu gritted his teeth. He didn't know her, despite what his heart had to say, but whoever she was, she couldn't be in any condition to fight.

His heartbeat quickened, his mind hurt from trying to find an escape. He only saw one solution. But he couldn't. Could he ? It's been years.

Lucy was about to stand next to him.

The lizard man threw himself at her, claws all out.

"OH TO HELL WITH IT !" Natsu suddenly yelled, a frustrated scowl gracing his face. Jumping high, he withdrew his right arm behind his head.

His hand caught on fire.

Lucy's heart missed a beat as her eyes grew wide at the sight of the flames licking the tan skin of Natsu's fingers, the boy not seeming to feel any pain.

"_Magic…_" Lucy let out in a breath, hypnotized by the swirling of the flames around Natsu's hand as every bit of fire came together to form a ball in his palm.

The pink-haired boy threw his fireball forward with all his might, effectively hitting his opponent straight in the face with it, whose speed added strenght to the attack.

"Take this, Scar Face !" Natsu shouted, showing off the biggest grin Lucy had seen yet.

Said "Scar Face" groaned as he struggled to get back on his feet from the rubbles of the wall he just smashed into, a fuming burn decorating his forehead. He didn't have time to do much, another shot of fire being tossed his way, this time envelopping his scaled arm.

To Natsu and Lucy's surprise, the flames just made their way down his arms to the tip of his fingers, disappearing without a trace. But the prince couldn't let himself being taken aback, and he wasted no time in firing another ball, that exploded onto the enemy's shoulder, drawing a yelp from him.

"Scar Face" raised himself up quickly, red skin scorched and bruised all over, thin trickles of blood trailing down his cheeks and arm. Panting, he shot a cold glare towards the duo in front of him and bounced through the hole made in the roof, apparently running off.

Natsu and Lucy stood quiet and still for a moment, staring ahead, surrounded by Natsu's heavy breaths and small pieces of walls crumbling down from time to time. Plaster was falling down in thick dust, covering the all room in white.

Natsu, still as a rock, eyed the damage done to the modest house. A house he had built, with the help of some kind villagers. His house. It hurt him to stand in the middle of its rubbles. But what hurt him most was the soft sobbing he heard from behind him.

"I…I'm sorry… T-This is all my fault !" Lucy hiccuped, and he suddenly didn't care about the destruction around them.

Natsu was instantly crunching down in front of her kneeling form, gripping her wrists gently to keep her hands away from her big brown eyes, shining with guilty tears. He shot her a serious look, but before he could utter a word, she went on.

"Y-Your house… Oh my- I'm so sorry ! I-"

"The only one responsible for this mess is this jerk" Natsu stated, throwing a thumb over his back, in the same direction the scar-faced man had taken off to.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, his onyx eyes burning their way through hers, his gaze determined and soothing at the same time. Lucy couldn't stop staring at his orbs, feeling herself being dragged inside them. There, she found the same fire that has danced around his palm earlier, but as it was now directed towards her, it did not seem as harmful. It was warm.

She broke out of her revery when his hold on her wrists tightened slightly. She shook her head, some golden locks sliding on her face.

"Okay", Lucy muttered, registering despite herself each bruise exposed on his skin, every small blood-stained part of his face. Who was stupid enough to endure this for a stranger ?

But as he faced her with a sloppy grin, showing off a small, pointy canine, seeming unfazed by the pain he was supposed to be in, Lucy understood that the real question was quite the contrary.

"Good", he whispered, releasing her hands to erase the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs. "Now let's get you out of here, he'll surely come back".

Natsu stood up, followed by the blonde girl, who gently shook off his hand to get up by herself.

"What on earth did he want with you ?" Natsu wondered aloud, skirting around his house to every room in order to gather all sorts of things in a backpack.

"H-how would I know… I guess it has to do with my past but… I guess I still can't remember a thing", Lucy explained, holding herself while watching him pass by her in a blur, "I had an headache when he appeared, but no memory came back to me. I'm feeling stuck. And scared, to be honest". She looked down in what Natsu thought was shame. He paused, turning towards her, without saying anything.

"Don't be", he finally uttered.

Grabbing one last thing from his room, a worn-out scarf, he jogged back to her, taking hold of her arm and tugging her out of the house.

"W-what are you doing ?", she sputtered, running behind him on the dirty pathway along the beach, towards the North Forest.

"I said that we had to get out of here" Natsus answered matter-of-factly.

"We ? But I thought-"

"That I'd just get you some food and throw you out in the woods ? No way missy, I'm tagging along".

"But-"

"You are like a lost puppy, with an evil man coming after you ! You certainly want to gain your memory back ! I'll help you out", she heard him speak through a smile.

"Thanks, but, why-"

At this, Natsu turned his head to face her, keeping his running pace, a toothy grin stretching his lips, as he answered in a soft voice :

"So that neither of us will be alone anymore".

And as he lifted his hand in the air, never releasing hers, wrapping the white, scaled scarf around his neck, laughing like a maniac, Lucy caught something burning in his flaming eyes : the promise of an adventure.

And she felt her own laugh building up in her chest, breaking free entirely for the first time since she could remember, as it echoed with his own.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya ! I'm (really) late for this chapter, I … kinda met the evil monster we call "writer block"… He's scary… <strong>

**Anyway I'm sorry for the wait but now the mean monster is gone and the next chap is already on its way ! ^^' **

**I thank everyone who follow this story and who has reviewed, it means really much, and I hope you didn't give up on it… I'm trying my best to keep it up :x**

**See ya next time ! **


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